September has been another busy month working on the issues that matter to people across Northwest Washington.

Here are a few highlights from the month:

Supporting Washington's maritime economy: I joined maritime leaders at the Port of Everett for a discussion about funding needs, workforce development, domestic shipbuilding, and supporting maritime jobs across our region.

There are only 40 days until Election Day. Every day leading up to November 3 will have an impact on our values, freedom, and democracy. The issues we care about — affordability, protecting our environment, ensuring economic growth, and addressing public health crises like the opioid epidemic — are all on the ballot.

Do you have a plan to vote in November? The values we take pride in are on the line, and we each need to do our part to ensure that no one can take away these values from us.

Washington has one of the strongest vote-by-mail systems in the country. But recent changes to U.S. Postal Service transportation operations mean some mail may not receive a postmark on the same day it is mailed, raising concerns for ballots returned close to Election Day.

That matters because under Washington law, a ballot returned by mail must be postmarked by Election Day to count.

President Trump has continued his efforts to restrict voting by mail. While those efforts face challenges in court, Washington's election process remains unchanged. Still, voters should know their options and make a plan before ballots arrive.

With ballots arriving next month, here are a few things to consider as you make your plan to vote. But before anything else, check to make sure your voter registration is up to date.